Analog Video Capture – Need Expert Help Please

[Tom Matthies]

I’ve been recording on a Panasonic Mini-DV deck. Not sure offhand of the exact model since it’s owned by the hospital and I’m not there right now. We have a small studio setup in the hospital itself where we record a weekly cable access-type show featuring a host and assorted medical types. We switch thru a Panasonic MX-70 switcher (with that damned three frame delay in the video) and into the Panasonic deck via s-video. I have the Firewire output of the deck going into the Firewire input of the G5. When we roll the tape for record, I do a “capture now” in Final Cut and the deck acts as a pass thru converter. So far, it’s worked four shows out of four for the full half hour. It saves all of the capture time and you still have a tape for backup as well.

As for the Firestore, I’ll check out which settings will work. I’ve used it in the time lapse mode for capturing from a live camera, but I’m not sure if I’ve ever tried to capture in realtime without rolling a tape at the same time. It should work the same. I’ll try it and let you know.
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Update.
Since I had my camera (a JVC GY-DV-700WS) handy, I gave it a try. It works fine. All you need to do is to put the Firestore in the “local” mode in the control menu, change the timecode input to “Rec. Run” in the setup menu and you’re all set (after presetting the time code). Just hit the “record” and “Play” buttons at the same time to “arm” the system and then press the “Record” key again to begin recording. I captured a couple of clips just now, and it worked fine. BTW, I’m using a Firestore FS-3 in this case.

Tom

[Jerryhwilson]

Thanks so much for the input here. I am assuming that in your test with your camera that you ran it through that mixer rather than just hooking the Firestore to the camera? (Mine does fine in that instance as well.)

I wish I knew more about your deck. I won’t have a chance to be around our equipment until Saturday, but I will kick the tires hard at that time using your suggestions. I have also noticed that Apple has released a firmware update for our very computer citing “video intensive” problems. I don’t know if that is an issue, but I’m going to do the firmware upgrade.

Thanks so much for your help. I will be back in touch via this board.

[Jerryhwilson]

Sorry, I missed the exact details of your post until I re-read it. If you captured to the firestore without rolling tape from your camera, you did exactly what we’re trying to do. I have the exact same Firestore, so I’m going to try that as well on my lunch break today.

Thanks again.

[Tom Matthies]

It should work. The trick when mounted on a camera is to roll the Firestore locally from it’s own control panel and not from the camera’s start/stop control. I haven’t tried to record to the FS-3 from any source other than the camera since it’s mounted to the camera. I haven’t thied to add a second external Firewire drive to the unit either, but that’s suppoped to be an option as well for recording very long events.
Tom

[Jerryhwilson]

Thanks for the help Tom. I could have SWORN that I have tried this, but I’m going backed, armed with your information, and trying again. We are going into a Sony DSR-11, and I’ve tried my DSR-20 as well, but couldn’t get the Firestore to turn on in any circumstance. I know that I tried SOME manual mode and couldn’t get it to start recording for any reason. The firestore just said it was waiting for timecode.

I will repost when my experiments are done. Thanks again.

[Dave Kulawick]

Does this VTR have a TC IN? Can it do Free Run TC?

I’ve captured analog sources through a Pan AJ-D455 VTR set to Free Run TC and Firewire to the Mac.

Have a look at https://www.virtualvtr.com/pictureready/index.html

That ones pretty cool cause it will actually let you log material while you’re capturing, a feature that would make FC Really Pro if it could do it.

dbk

[Jerryhwilson]

Frank,

I tried this exact thing for a couple of hours before our show this week. My deck was already on EE and I cannot capture without putting the FCP Log and Capture window into Non-controllable device mode. If I leave it on Firewire NTSC, begin my capturing on the DSR11, and press capture now in the window, it will record 16 frames, every time, and then stop the deck and state that the end of the tape has been reached.

I tried every option I could find and every combination I can think of to make this work and can’t get any kind of capture WITH time code coming from a RECORDING DSR11 deck.

How am I differing from what you have tried?